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![]() The seal of the Delta Regional Authority | |
Agency overview | |
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Formed | 2000 |
Headquarters | Clarksdale, Mississippi |
Annual budget | $30 million (2017) [1] |
Agency executive |
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Website | dra |
The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a Federal-State partnership whose mission it is to improve the quality of life for the residents of the Mississippi Delta. The Delta Regional Authority serves 252 counties and parishes in parts of eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Led by a Federal Co-Chairman appointed by the President and the governors of the eight states, the DRA fosters partnerships throughout the region as it works to improve the Delta economy. DRA funds can be used to leverage other federal and state programs.
Under federal law, at least 75 percent of DRA funds must be invested in economically distressed counties and parishes. Half of DRA funds are awarded for transportation and basic infrastructure improvements.
The 1990 report of the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Commission spurred efforts to direct federal economic assistance toward the Lower Mississippi River Valley region. [2] The region, as defined in the Lower Mississippi Delta Development Act of 1988, consisted of 219 counties in Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Kentucky, Missouri, and Illinois and was the poorest in the United States, with a poverty rate of 22% compared to a national rate of 12%. [3] In 1998, President Bill Clinton, an Arkansas native, proposed channeling $26 million in federal aid to the region through the Appalachian Regional Commission, but Mississippi Governor Kirk Fordice opposed the plan, fearing it would divert aid from the Appalachian Region, including several counties in northern Mississippi. [2] Instead, Congress funneled the allocation through the Department of Agriculture, but the Department said it was unable to comply with Congress' intent without more specific direction. [2]
In 1999, Arkansas Democrats Senator Blanche Lincoln and Representative Marion Berry introduced the Delta Regional Authority Act of 1999 [4] to create the Delta Regional Authority to administer funds allocated to the region. [2] The legislation was co-sponsored by Arkansas Republican Senator Tim Hutchinson, Tennessee Republican Senator Bill Frist, and Tennessee Democratic Representative Harold Ford Jr. [2] Clinton announced in December 1999 that he would include $30 million in funding for the Authority in his next budget proposal. [3] Mississippi Republican Senator Thad Cochran become the leading voice against the legislation, opining that the money should be channeled to the Delta Region through existing agencies such as colleges and universities. [5]
In 2000, Congress established the Delta Regional Authority to enhance economic development and improve the quality of life for the residents of the Lower Mississippi River Delta region. [6]
The Delta Regional Authority is a regional economic development agency serving 252 counties and parishes in the following eight states:
The DRA is led by two presidential appointees, Federal Co-Chairman (FCC) and Alternate Federal Co-Chairman (AFCC), along with a State Co-Chairman and the governor of each participating state. It is designed to remedy severe and chronic economic distress by stimulating economic development and fostering partnerships that will have a positive impact on the region’s economy.
The Delta Regional Authority helps economically distressed communities to leverage other federal and state programs in the four Congressionally mandated priority funding categories:
Since the inception of the DRA Federal Funding Program, known as the States' Economic Development Assistance Program since 2010, the following projected outcomes have been documented:
At the local level, the Delta Regional Authority coordinates efforts with a combination of agencies. Assisting the Delta Regional Authority are local development districts ("LDDs"), regional entities with a proven track record of helping municipalities, counties and parishes improve basic infrastructure and stimulate growth.
DRA partners with USDA's Rural Development (RDA) Program. Through their network of state and local offices, the RDA assists the Delta Regional Authority with the Rural Community Advancement Program (RCAP) program. DRA also partnered with the Economic Development Association (EDA) by conducting community evaluations related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Additionally, the Delta Regional Authority works with each member state's Department of Economic Development, local development districts, Departments of Transportation, governor’s offices, Department of Health, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, congressional offices and city and county government. [7]
The Delta Regional Authority is involved in numerous efforts to improve the lives of the people it serves. The following programs are currently under operation throughout the Authority's region: [8]
Alabama
Barbour County, Alabama; Bullock County, Alabama; Butler County, Alabama; Choctaw County, Alabama; Clarke County, Alabama; Conecuh County, Alabama; Dallas County, Alabama; Escambia County, Alabama; Greene County, Alabama; Hale County, Alabama; Lowndes County, Alabama; Macon County, Alabama; Marengo County, Alabama; Monroe County, Alabama; Perry County, Alabama; Pickens County, Alabama; Russell County, Alabama; Sumter County, Alabama; Washington County, Alabama; Wilcox County, Alabama
Arkansas
Arkansas County, Arkansas; Ashley County, Arkansas; Baxter County, Arkansas; Bradley County, Arkansas; Calhoun County, Arkansas; Chicot County, Arkansas; Clay County, Arkansas; Cleveland County, Arkansas; Craighead County, Arkansas; Crittenden County, Arkansas; Cross County, Arkansas; Dallas County, Arkansas; Desha County, Arkansas; Drew County, Arkansas; Fulton County, Arkansas; Grant County, Arkansas; Greene County, Arkansas; Independence County, Arkansas; Izard County, Arkansas; Jackson County, Arkansas; Jefferson County, Arkansas; Lawrence County, Arkansas; Lee County, Arkansas; Lincoln County, Arkansas; Lonoke County, Arkansas; Marion County, Arkansas; Mississippi County, Arkansas; Monroe County, Arkansas; Ouachita County, Arkansas; Phillips County, Arkansas; Poinsett County, Arkansas; Prairie County, Arkansas; Pulaski County, Arkansas; Randolph County, Arkansas; Searcy County, Arkansas; Sharp County, Arkansas; Stone County, Arkansas; St. Francis County, Arkansas; Union County, Arkansas; Van Buren County, Arkansas; White County, Arkansas; Woodruff County, Arkansas
Illinois
Alexander County, Illinois; Franklin County, Illinois; Gallatin County, Illinois; Hamilton County, Illinois; Hardin County, Illinois; Jackson County, Illinois; Johnson County, Illinois; Massac County, Illinois; Perry County, Illinois; Pope County, Illinois; Pulaski County, Illinois; Randolph County, Illinois; Saline County, Illinois; Union County, Illinois; White County, Illinois; Williamson County, Illinois
Kentucky
Ballard County, Kentucky; Caldwell County, Kentucky; Christian County, Kentucky; Calloway County, Kentucky; Carlisle County, Kentucky; Crittenden County, Kentucky; Fulton County, Kentucky; Graves County, Kentucky; Henderson County, Kentucky; Hickman County, Kentucky; Hopkins County, Kentucky; Livingston County, Kentucky; Lyon County, Kentucky; Marshall County, Kentucky; McCracken County, Kentucky; McLean County, Kentucky; Muhlenberg County, Kentucky; Todd County, Kentucky; Trigg County, Kentucky; Union County, Kentucky; Webster County, Kentucky
Louisiana
Acadia Parish, Louisiana; Allen Parish, Louisiana; Ascension Parish, Louisiana; Assumption Parish, Louisiana; Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana; Beauregard Parish, Louisiana; Bienville Parish, Louisiana; Caldwell Parish, Louisiana; Cameron Parish, Louisiana; Claiborne Parish, Louisiana; Concordia Parish, Louisiana; Catahoula Parish, Louisiana; DeSoto Parish, Louisiana; East Carroll Parish, Louisiana; East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Evangeline Parish, Louisiana; Franklin Parish, Louisiana; Iberia Parish, Louisiana; Iberville Parish, Louisiana; East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana; Grant Parish, Louisiana; Lafourche Parish, Louisiana; Jackson Parish, Louisiana; Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana; Livingston Parish, Louisiana; Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; Lincoln Parish, Louisiana; Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana; La Salle Parish, Louisiana; Morehouse Parish, Louisiana; Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana; Madison Parish, Louisiana; Ouachita Parish, Louisiana; Richland Parish, Louisiana; Orleans Parish, Louisiana; Rapides Parish, Louisiana; St. Helena Parish, Louisiana; Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana; Red River Parish, Louisiana;St. Landry Parish, Louisiana; St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana; St. Charles Parish, Louisiana; St. Mary Parish, Louisiana; St. James Parish, Louisiana; St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana; St. Martin Parish, Louisiana; Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana; Tensas Parish, Louisiana; Union Parish, Louisiana; Vermillion Parish, Louisiana; Washington Parish, Louisiana; Webster Parish, Louisiana; West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; West Carroll Parish, Louisiana; West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana; Winn Parish, Louisiana
Mississippi
Adams County, Mississippi; Amite County, Mississippi; Attala County, Mississippi; Benton County, Mississippi; Bolivar County, Mississippi; Carroll County, Mississippi; Claiborne County, Mississippi; Coahoma County, Mississippi; Copiah County, Mississippi; Covington County, Mississippi; DeSoto County, Mississippi; Franklin County, Mississippi; Grenada County, Mississippi; Hinds County, Mississippi; Holmes County, Mississippi; Humphreys County, Mississippi; Issaquena County, Mississippi; Jasper County, Mississippi; Jefferson County, Mississippi; Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi; Lawrence County, Mississippi; Leflore County, Mississippi; Lafayette County, Mississippi; Madison County, Mississippi; Marion County, Mississippi; Lincoln County, Mississippi; Montgomery County, Mississippi; Panola County, Mississippi; Marshall County, Mississippi; Quitman County, Mississippi; Rankin County, Mississippi; Pike County, Mississippi; Smith County, Mississippi; Sunflower County, Mississippi; Sharkey County, Mississippi; Simpson County, Mississippi; Tippah County, Mississippi; Tallahatchie County, Mississippi; Tate County, Mississippi; Tunica County, Mississippi; Union County, Mississippi; Walthall County, Mississippi; Warren County, Mississippi; Washington County, Mississippi; Wilkinson County, Mississippi; Yalobusha County, Mississippi; Yazoo County, Mississippi
Missouri
Bollinger County, Missouri; Butler County, Missouri; Cape Girardeau County, Missouri; Carter County, Missouri; Crawford County, Missouri; Dent County, Missouri; Douglas County, Missouri; Dunklin County, Missouri; Howell County, Missouri; Iron County, Missouri; Madison County, Missouri; Mississippi County, Missouri; New Madrid County, Missouri; Ozark County, Missouri; Pemiscot County, Missouri; Oregon County, Missouri; Phelps County, Missouri; Perry County, Missouri; Reynolds County, Missouri; Ripley County, Missouri; Scott County, Missouri; Shannon County, Missouri; Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri; St. Francois County, Missouri; Stoddard County, Missouri; Texas County, Missouri; Washington County, Missouri; Wayne County, Missouri; Wright County, Missouri
Tennessee
Benton County, Tennessee; Carroll County, Tennessee; Chester County, Tennessee; Crockett County, Tennessee; Decatur County, Tennessee; Dyer County, Tennessee; Fayette County, Tennessee; Gibson County, Tennessee; Hardeman County, Tennessee; Hardin County, Tennessee; Haywood County, Tennessee; Henderson County, Tennessee; Henry County, Tennessee; Lake County, Tennessee; Lauderdale County, Tennessee; Madison County, Tennessee; McNairy County, Tennessee; Obion County, Tennessee; Shelby County, Tennessee; Tipton County, Tennessee; Weakley County, Tennessee
Jefferson County may refer to one of several counties or parishes in the United States, all of which are named directly or indirectly after Thomas Jefferson:
The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. It formerly extended north into Canada, serving the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. The road is designated as both a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road in several states along the route.
Oak Grove may refer to:
The North American Central Time Zone is a time zone in parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, some Caribbean islands, and part of the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a United States federal–state partnership that works with the people of Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining economic development and improved quality of life. Congress established ARC to bring the region into socioeconomic parity with the rest of the nation.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division (MVD) is responsible for the Corps water resources programs within 370,000-square-miles of the Mississippi River Valley, as well as the watershed portions of the Red River of the North that are within the United States. It encompasses the entire Mississippi River from Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico. It excludes the watersheds of the Missouri River and Ohio River, and portions of the Arkansas River and the Red River of the South. The division includes all or parts of 13 states: Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣΑΙ) is a women's music fraternity. Formed to "uphold the highest standards of music" and "to further the development of music in America and throughout the world", it continues to provide musical and educational resources to its members and the general public. Sigma Alpha Iota operates its own national philanthropy, Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. Sigma Alpha Iota is a member of the National Interfraternity Music Council and the Professional Fraternity Association.
The SERC Reliability Corporation (SERC) is responsible for ensuring a reliable and secure electric grid across 16 southeastern and central states. The SERC region lies within the Eastern Interconnection, and includes the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, and Florida.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 is part of Pub. L. 99–662, a series of acts enacted by Congress of the United States on November 17, 1986.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1996 is part of Pub. L. 104–303 (text)(PDF), was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 12, 1996. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1996 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1992, Pub. L. 102–580, was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 31, 1992. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1992 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The Water Resources Development Act of 1999, Pub. L. 106–53 (text)(PDF), was enacted by Congress of the United States on August 17, 1999. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1999 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The Water Resources Development Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106–541 (text)(PDF), was enacted by Congress of the United States on December 11, 2000. Most of the provisions of WRDA 2000 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.